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Department of Classics

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Joint Honours Ancient Greek

In choosing to study ancient Greek you will be learning to read, in the original language, the literature, thought and culture of one of the civilisations that shaped the western world. During the course of your studies you will read a wide variety of texts, including epic, tragedy, comedy, philosophy and history writing. Whether you are taking up Greek as a beginner or continuing your language studies, the main emphasis of the course is on studying ancient texts both as literature and as a gateway into culture and thought.

This course is combined with another subject chosen from a range of options within the area of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences. We offer you the possibility of learning Greek as a beginner or of continuing your studies, if you have studied Greek at school (e.g. for the Leaving Certificate, 'A' level, or International and European Baccalaureate).

TJH (Trinity Joint Hons) ANCIENT GREEK PATHWAYS

As a TJH Ancient Greek Trinity student, you will have choices to make at the end of your 1st Year and 2nd Year about what type of degree you wish to finish with and what options you would like to take to get there.

You will find a very helpful visualisation of your pathways options here: 

The College website offers a useful ‘pathway tool’ here for you to explore your choices.

Click on Junior Freshman Year below to see your mandatory 1st year, depending upon your existing language skills.

Junior Freshman (JF)

If you have not studied ancient Greek before you are a ‘Greek B’ student and take:

+

If you have Leaving Cert or equivalent ancient Greek at intermediate level already you are a ‘Greek A’ student and take:

+

At the end of your 1st Year you will choose how many ECTS credits in Greek you would like to take:

  1. 40 ECTS (leading to a Single Honours, Major with Minor or Joint Honours degree);
  2. 20 ECTS (leading to Major with Minor or Joint Honours degree); or
  3. 0 ECTS (leading to a Single Honours degree in your other subject).

In the following SF, JS, and SS pages you will find an overview of modules available for each pathway in 2023-24.

Senior Freshman (SF)

Greek Pathway For 40 Credits
(Major Award; Joint Honors)

You will take 40 ECTS credits in Greek and 20 credits in your Subject 2.

Semester 1 (20 credits)

Semester 2 (20 credits)

All modules are mandatory.

Greek Pathway For 20 Credits
(Major Award; Joint Honors; Minor Award)

You will take 20 ECTS credits in Greek, 20 credits in your Subject 2, and 20 credits in Trinity Electives and Open Modules. A list of Trinity Electives is available here: https://www.tcd.ie/trinity-electives/electives/
Information and list of Open Modules can be found here: https://www.tcd.ie/tjh/open-modules/

Semester 1 (10 credits)

Semester 2 (10 credits)

All modules are mandatory.

At the end of your 2nd Year you will choose your Sophister pathway from the following options:

  1. Major in Greek Option A (40 ECTS in Greek, 20 ECTS in your Subject 2)
    In this pathway you will carry both subjects to Yr 4.
  2. Major in Greek Option B (30 ECTS in Greek, 30 ECTS in your Subject 2)
    In this pathway you will drop your Subject 2 at the end of year 3.
  3. Joint Honours in Greek (30 ECTS in Greek, 30 ECTS in your Subject 2)
    In this pathway you will carry both subjects to Yr 4.
  4. Minor in Greek Option B (30 ECTS in Greek, 30 ECTS in your Subject 2)
    In this pathway you will drop Latin at the end of Yr 3.
  5. Minor in Greek Option A (20 ECTS in Greek, 40 ECTS in Subject 2)
    In this pathway you will carry both subjects to Yr 4.
  6. Greek as Subject 2 in Single Honours Pathway (10 ECTS CC)

Note that the Single Honours pathway is not available in Greek.
In the JS and SS pages you will find an overview of modules available for each pathway in 2022-23.

Junior Sophister (JS)

Greek JS Pathway For 40 Credits
(Major Option A)

Semester 1 (20 credits)

Semester 2 (20 credits)

All modules are mandatory.

Greek JS Pathway For 30 Credits
(Major Option B, Joint Honours, Minor Option B)

Semester 1 (15 credits)

Semester 2 (15 credits)

All modules are mandatory.

Greek JS Pathway For 20 Credits
(Minor Option A)

Semester 1 (10 credits)

Semester 2 (10 credits)

All modules are mandatory.

Greek JS Pathway For 10 Credits
(Greek as Subject 2 in Single Honours Pathway)

Semester 1 (5 credits)

Semester 2 (5 credits)

All modules are mandatory.

Senior Sophister (SS)

Depending on your pathway you will choose 40 or 20 ECTS credits of Special Topics modules and write a Capstone Dissertation. Special Topics taught in 2023-24 are listed below. Other options may be offered in other years: see the Classics website for details.

Greek SS Pathway For 60 Credits
(Major Option B)

You will write a Dissertation (20 ECTS) and take Special Topics modules (worth 20 ECTS in each semester) for 40 ECTS in total.
Your modules must include 20 ECTS of Greek-based modules (mandatory) and 20 ECTS of Classics Special Subjects (optional), in which sources are read in translation.

Semester 1

Semester 2

*Classics Special Subjects available in 2025-26 are:

Greek SS Pathway For 40 Credits
(Major Option A, Joint Honours with Capstone in Greek)

You will write a Dissertation (compulsory Capstone) and take Greek Special Topics for 20 ECTS (10 in each semester). The remaining 20 credits will come from modules in your Subject 2.
If you are on a Joint Honours Pathway you may choose to take the Capstone in your Subject 2.

Semester 1 (20 credits)

Semester 2 (20 credits)

All modules are mandatory.

Greek SS Pathway For 20 Credits
(Minor Option A, Joint Honours with Capstone in Subject 2)

You will take Greek Special Topics for 20 ECTS (10 in each semester).
The remaining 40 credits, including the Capstone, will come from your Subject 2.

Semester 1 (10 credits)

Semester 2 (10 credits)

All modules are mandatory.